Data processing apparatus



Oct. 31, 1967 M, J TOOZE 3,350,011

DATA PROCESSING APPARATUS Filed May 16. 1966 law/ A ORNEY United States Patent i e 3550,011

Patented Oct. 31, 1967 respective one of all the possible said directions, whereby 3,350,011 presence of a said output fluid jet in any said output chan- DATA RO E S N APPARATUS nel represents the sum of the said two digits as having the Mlchael John T00, 119114011, Eugligmdi assigllol' to Elliot said one binary value, absence of a said output fluid jet F a gj Lhmted Lew'sham Londhh, 5 in all said output channels represents the sum of the said an a i f e g hgghk Ser. No. 550,352 n two digits as having the said other binary value, and Claims priority, application Great Britain, May 18, 1965, presehee of sale output hn1d ]et,hay1hg one of e 0 ;9 5 only of the said output channels mdlcates a carry signal 4 Cl i (Cl, 235. 201) resulting from the said addition, means for detecting 10 flowing of a said output fluid jet through any said output channel whereby to indicate the said sum, and means for detecting flowing of a said output fluid jet through any ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE one of the said some only of the output channels whereby Fluid logic apparatus performing binary addition to indicate a carry signal resulting from the sa1d addiprises three mutually perpendicular jet paths respectively representing the binary values of the two digits to be A e legle elemeht embodying the myehheh Wnl new added and any carry to be taken into account. The paths he desenbed h way i i and with reference to are directed to a common point and produce an output the aeeempanylhg drawlhgszm whlehz, jet therefrom whose direction depends on the particular G 1 Shows a dlagrammahe represehtahon of combination of input jets existing at the time. Output the hhldlegle elementiand, channels are respectively aligned with all possible direc- FIGURE 2 Shows a dlegrhnnhhne representenen of tions of the output jet. Some output channels discharge for use Wltn the legle element FIGURE for into a first common channel producing the selecting, by use of low power ets, WhlCl'l of two paths put of the addition and some of the output channels apewerlet should take discharged into a second common channel producing the GU 1 shows dlagrammaneahy legle eiemeht result of the addition. comprising sources 6, 7 and 8 (shown diagrammatically) for producing three input fluid jets represented by the lines A, B and C. The three input jets have equal magni- The invention relates to data processing apparatus and thee momentum n e along hnes B and C to fluidlogic elements for Such apparatus respectively in the dIIZECtIOHS indlcated by the arrows According to one aspect of the invention, there is prothereon so as to eelnelde at the common pelnt the vided a fluid logic element, including means for directing directions of the jets being mutnahy Perpendicular input fluid jets towards a single point in space in respec- The arrangement 15 Sheh that any one let ean he on e tively different predetermined inward directions which do to the exehlsleh of other any two of the lets not an line in the same plane whereby to produce an can be on to the exclusion of the other one, or all three output fluid jet directed away from said point in an outlets can On simultaneously It W111 be appreciated ward direction which depends on the particular combinathat the Input Jet e e reaehlng the Pelht D P hon of Said input fluid jets existing at any time a resultant output et directed away from the point D According to another aspect of the invention, there through an interaehen h h In a i h P P is provided a fluid logic elemgnt comprising means for on the particular combination of the lnput ets existing producing any one of all possible combinations of at at the h least three input fluid jets directed towards a single point A 9 block of matenal generally cublcal m Sha-pe in respectively different directions so that the direction but h Comer cut away to accommodate the mof at least one input fluid jet is transverse to a plane teraenon reglen defines Seven output channels 10 including at least two other said input fluid jets whereby to 16 each Positioned so as to aeeept a Parne'har one of to produce a resultant Output fluid jet directed away from all the possible resultant output ets. Output channel 10 the said Single point in a direction which depends on is positioned so as to receive the resultant jet from the the particular combination of input fluid jets existing at n, D when only let on; output ,ehennel 11,18 the-time, and a plurality of output channels each positioned so as to receive the resultant et from point ranged for receiving a said Output fluid jet having a 0 D when only jet B is on; output channel 12 is positioned respective one of the said direcfi0ns so as to receive the resultant et from polnt D when According to a further aspect of the invention, there only C 18 oh; output. channel 13 1e .posmoned so as is provided fluid logic apparatus for performing a binary reeelye the resultant Jet from the pemt e only addition of two binary digits each of which can have the Jets A n B are on; ohtpht channel 14 peslhehee either one of two binary values, comprising means for 5 as to reeewe the resultant Jet from the Pelnt D when directing any particular combination of first, second, and y, lets A and C on; output ehannel 15 third mutually perpendicular input fluid jets to a single .pohhoned so as to Ieeewe the resultant Jet from the point whereby to produce an output fluid jet directed Polnt D e only, Jets B and C e on; and output away f the Single point in a direction Which channel 16 is positioned so as to receive the resultant pends on the particular said combination of the input let fromhie pomt D when, an three Jets and C fluid jets which exists at the time, presence of each said i are on slmnhaneohsly' Wlh be e that channels fluid jet representing one binary value and absence of each and 12 respeehyely he along three mhtnahy h' said fluid jet representing the other said binary value, dlchlar edges of the block channel? 13 a 14 the binary value f one i digit being represented by along diagonals of two perpendicular sldes of the block presence or absence of the said first input fluid jet, the 9, channel lies along diagonal 0f the p of the binary value ofthe said other binary digit bein repreblock 9, while channel 16 lies along a diagonal through sented by presence or absence of the said second input the block 9.

fluid jet, any carry signal to be carried into the said The fluid logic element illustrated can be utilised in addition beingfrepresented by the presence of the said 0 a fluid data processing apparatus for summing two binary third input fluid jet, a plurality of output channels each digits and at the same time taking into account a positioned to receive a said output fluid jet directed in a 1 carry binary digit from the'previous stage.

The table below shows an example of the utilisation of the fluid logic element as an intermediary stage in a fluid data processing apparatus. For this example two binary numbers are to be added, jet A representing the n digit of one number, jet B representing the n 5 digit of the other number, and jet C representing carry data from the previous addition of all the less significant bits of the two numbers. A jet on represents a binary 1 and a jet off represents a binary 0. The table shows the sum and carry outputs resulting from the addition of all the possible combinations of inputs.

TABLE Jets Sum Carry Output Channel Output Channel From this table, it will be seen that outputs representing the sum of the digits as being binary 1 in value can appear at any one of the channels 10, 11, 12 and 16, while outputs representing a carry can appear at any one of the channels 13, 14, 15 and 16. Therefore, the ends of the channels 10, 11, 12 and 16 remote from the point D are connected together (as shown by the chaindotted lines) to form a common output channel 17, and the ends of the channels 13, 14, 15 and 16 are connected together (as shown by the chain-dotted lines) to form a common output channel 18. Issuance of a jet from the channel 17 therefore represents the sum of the digits as having the value of binary 1 while absence of such a jet represents the sum as having the value of binary 0, and issuance of a jet from the channel 18 represents a carry signal while absence of such a jet represents absence of a carry signal.

FIGURE 2 shows a source 20 arranged to direct a fluid power jet through an aperture in an arrangement 21 which has two output channels 21a and 21b. Further low-power sources 22 and 23 are positioned at apertures 50 in the arrangement 21 so as to act respectively on opposite sides of a power jet produced by the source 20, the jet from source 22 tending to cause the power jet to pass along the channel 21a, and the jet from source 23 tending to cause the power jet to pass along channel 21b. The channels 17 and 18 (FIGURE 1) are respectively connected to two arrangements 21 so as to represent the respective sources 22 thereof. The sources 23 of the twoarrangements 21 are arranged to be activated by control or inhibit means. Therefore, in the absence of jets from the sources 23 of the two arrangements, issuance of a jet from channel 17 (representing a binary 1 as the sum of the inputs) causes the jet from source 20 of one of the arrangements 21 to issue from channel 21a of the arrangement whence it may be further amplified or otherwise processed, while issuance of a jet from channel 18 (representing a carry signal) causes the jet from the source 20 of the other of the arrangements 21 to issue from the channel 21a of that arrangement whence, again, it may be further amplified or otherwise processed and may, for example, be arranged to constitute the jet C of a further device similar to that of FIGURE 1. In the absence of a jet from the channel 17 or 18, the jet from the source 20 of the appropriate arrangement 21 issues from the channel 21b of the arrangement and may be allowed to pass to exhaust: the same happens when the sources 23 of the arrangements 21 are activated;

The embodiment shows a fluid logic element which is capable of carrying out two logical functions, that is, the summing of two binary bits as well as the taking into account of a carry, using only one jet interaction region E. Hence the time taken to perform such an operation is reduced.

Although three mutually perpendicular and equal momentum jets are utilised in the embodiment described, the invention should not be considered to be limited in this way. The three jets need not be mutually perpendicular, there may be more than three jets, and the magnitude of momentum of all the jets need not be the same. In any particular arrangement, the output channels would be arranged according to the number of jets and their respective momentums.

I claim:

' 1. A fluid logic element including means defining three mutually perpendicular fluid jet paths directed towards a single point in space,

means for passing an input fluid jet along each said path whereby to produce an output fluid jet directed away from the said point in an outward direction which depends on the particular combination of said input fluid jets existing at the time, and

means defining a plurality of output channels each positioned to receive a said output fluid jet having a respective one of all possible said outward directions, the said means defining the said output channels being a substantially cubical piece of material with one corner cut away, the cubical piece of material being positioned so that the said single point is substantially co-incident with the position previously occupied by the said one corner, three of the said output channels being defined in the cubical piece of material so as substantially to lie respectively along the three edges of the cubical piece of material whose projections meet at the said single point, three further said output channels being defined in the cubical piece of material so as substantially to lie respectively along diagonals of three faces of the cubical piece of material which diagonals have projections meeting at the said single point, and another said output channel being defined in the cubical piece of material so as substantially to lie along the diagonal through the cubical piece of material whose projection intersects the said single point. 2. Fluid logic apparatus for performing binary addition of a first and a second binary digit, comprising means defining three fluid jet paths directed towards a single point in space in respectively different predetermined inward directions which do not all he in the same plane; input means for passing an input fluid jet along each said path whereby to produce an output fluid jet directed away from the said point in an outward direction which depends on the particular combination of said input fluid jetsexisting at the time, said input means comprising first means for passing along said first path an input fluid jet whose presence represents one binary value of said binary digit and whose absence represents the other binary value thereof, second means for passing along said second path an input fluid jet whose presence represents the binary value of said second binary digit and whose absence represents the other binary value thereof, and third means for passing along said third fluid jet path an input fluid jet representing any carry to be carried into said addition; means defining first, second, and third output channels respectively positioned parallel to and colinearwith the three fluid jet paths whereby each output channel receives the said output fluid jet produced when a respective one of the input fluid jets is present alone;

means defining fourth, fifth, and sixth output channels, the fourth output channel being co-planar with and lying between the first and second output channels, the fifth output channel being co-planar with and lying between the first and third output channels, and the sixth output channel being co-planar with and lying between the second and third output chan nels, each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth output channels receiving the said output fluid jet produced when a respective pair of the input fluid jets is present to the exclusion of the remaining input fluid jet;

means defining a seventh output channel positioned for receiving the output fluid jet produced when all the input fluid jets are present at the same time;

a first common channel;

means connecting the first, second, third and seventh output channels to discharge into the first common channel the presence or absence of the said output jet wherein represents the binary sum of the said two digits;

a second common channel; and

means connecting the fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh output channels to discharge into the second common channel presence or absence of the said output jet wherein represents a carry produced by the said addition.

3. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the said fluid jet paths are mutually perpendicular.

4. Apparatus according to claim 2, in which the magnitude of the momentum of each said input fluid jet is the same.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,182,675 5/1965 Zilberfarb et al. 13781.5 3,186,422 6/1965 Boothe 137-8l.5 3,208,462 9/1965 Fox et al. 137-8l.5 3,248,053 4/1966 Phillips 235-201 OTHER REFERENCES Ezekiel et al., Control Engineering, February 1961, p. 145.

RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner. L. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A FLUID LOGIC ELEMENT INCLUDING MEANS DEFINING THREE MUTUALLY PERPENDICULAR FLUID JET PATHS DIRECTED TOWARDS A SINGLE POINT IN SPACE, MEANS FOR PASSING AS INPUT FLUID JET ALONG EACH SAID PATH WHEREBY TO PRODUCE AN OUTPUT FLUID JET DIRETED AWAY FROM THE SAID POINT IN AN OUTWARD DIRECTION WHICH DEPENDS ON THE PARTICULAR COMBINATION OF SAID INPUT FLUID JETS EXISTING AT THE TIME, AND MEANS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF OUTPUT CHANNELS EACH POSITIONED TO RECEIVE A SAID OUTPUT FLUID JET HAVING A RESPONSIVE ONE OF ALL POSSIBLE SAID OUTWARD DIRECTIONS, 